HOWARD (NBC 26) — Two Howard locals aren't convinced the village's new law banning feeding wild animals will make much change. Fines for breaking the law could reach up to $1,000.
- Gardens growing fruits, vegetables and grains do not fall under the wildlife feeding ban
- Bait for hunting is also still allowed
- Bird feeders are permitted as long as they don't exceed two pounds of bird seed
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story with additional details for the web.)
The Howard village board has decided to ban feeding most wildlife, with some minor exceptions. I'm your Howard neighborhood reporter Pari Apostolakos. This new law marks the latest effort to curb the village's deer population following property damage concerns.
Meet the neighbors unconvinced this new law will help in the video below:
In a recent report, the village said the ordinance banning feeding is a step toward reducing the size of the deer herd in the village and can keep deer "and other wildlife healthy."
Now that the law has passed, Howard residents are not allowed to leave food outdoors on public or private property for feeding wildlife. Hand feeding is also now against the law, which the village says is for safety reasons and to "stop the spread of disease."
Kyla Hendricks lives near Spring Green Park.
"I don't really think it's going to make a difference," Hendricks said in her front yard Wednesday. "I think the deer and the wildlife are going to find food elsewhere, whether it's from people or not. It's just kind of sad that they want the wildlife gone."
As far as enforcement of the ordinance, the village says they'll look to complaints from neighbors about others feeding animals. Humane officer Matt Atkinson says they already have a few complaints to look into.
Ryan Hoffmann has lived in Howard for nearly a decade.
"There's a lot of geese, a lot of turkeys, a lot of deer," he said in his driveway Wednesday. "They're just in their territory, we're moving in on it ... If you don't want to deal with this type of problem, then you should consider maybe thinking about where you're moving to."
Humane Officer Atkinson says the first offense for feeding wildlife is a warning. Afterward, the minimum fine is $500 and the maximum penalty is a $1,000 fine.
